1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to auxiliary devices for use with surgical staplers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a powered materials dispenser designed to compress a capsule of materials and to inject the materials between the jaws of the surgical stapler.
2. Background of Related Art
During certain medical procedures it is often advantageous to add or supply various materials to the tissues being operated on. For example, during stapling of tissue, it may be desirable to place healing or sealing materials, such as antimicrobial materials or hemostatic materials, between the tissues being stapled to facilitate healing, etc. In some surgeries, methods of assisting in joining and/or strengthening the tissues being stapled may be desired. Adhesives may be applied to the tissues and buttress materials may be used to strengthen the tissue connections. The buttress materials are mounted on the jaws of the stapling instrument and stapled to the tissues to reinforce the staple lines and prevent tearing of the stapled tissue. It is often desirable to apply adhesives and/or sealants in conjunction with the buttress materials to better reinforce the staple lines in the tissues and assist in sealing the staple holes.
It is preferable to add these materials to the tissues being stapled at the time of the stapling of the tissues. This typically requires an additional device or materials dispenser, for example, a syringe, to be positioned within the area being operated on, in addition to the stapling apparatus being used, thereby requiring more operating space. In addition, the use of an additional, independent materials dispenser requires an additional set of hands to manipulate and operate it while at the same time reducing visibility of the operating area to the surgeons involved.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an auxiliary device in the form of a materials dispenser for integral use with a surgical stapler device. It would further be desirable to provide a powered materials dispenser for use with a surgical stapler device and operable concurrently with the surgical stapler.